It is proposed to take Nos. 11, 12 and 2. It is also proposed, not withstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the proceedings on the resumed Second Stage of No. 11, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 6.45 p.m.; and that Private Members' Business shall be No. 16 and the proceedings thereon shall be brought to a conclusion at 8.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal to deal with No. 11 satisfactory and agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal that Private Members' Business, shall conclude at 8.30 p.m. satisfactory? Agreed.
A Cheann Comhairle——
It is usual at this time to call the Order of Business proper and to give preference to the Leader of the main Opposition party, if he desires to intervene.
In regard to No. 8, which deals with the functions of the Comptroller and Auditor General, will the Taoiseach agree to allow him, in his capacity as Comptroller, to carry out an audit of the figures the Government is using in projecting its national plan receipts in view of the deliberate confusion——
This is clearly not appropriate to the Order of Business. I have already ruled on the matter this morning.
On a point of order——
The Deputy should not try to circumvent the matter.
On a point of order——
The Chair is dealing with a specific point of order that the matter which the Deputy raised is not in order.
Could we bring in Barry Desmond?
On a point of order, could I make a submission——
I advised the House earlier as to how it might proceed by way of substantive motion.
I thought Mr. Desmond might help matters.
Which Mr. Desmond?
Deputy Rabbitte is trying to be helpful.
Could I make a point of order. Sir, in regard to——
The Deputy must not try to circumvent the ruling of the Chair by raising what is a spurious point of order.
I understand one hour will be provided for debate on motion No. 8 on the Order Paper. That should be amended to allow a proper examination of the confusing figures and I would like the Government to agree to allow more time for that debate.
Perhaps the Whips might discuss that matter.
It has to be put to the House first.
It is essential that there is clarity in respect of the amount of money received.
I cannot allow the Deputy to proceed further.
I asked the Taoiseach yesterday if he would provide two days for the debate on the Programme for Competitiveness and Work because it depends very much on the national plan. Has he had an opportunity to consider the matter? Will he indicate if the Minister for Enterprise and Employment has gone to Brussels to apologise for his intemperate remarks?
I communicated with the Deputy in respect of the first matter and said it anticipated a debate that will take place next Friday if I am not in error.
Perhaps the Taoiseach would like to respond?
The Taoiseach may wish to intervene.
I have nothing to add to what the Ceann Comhairle has said.
Is the Taoiseach saying that the Minister has not gone to Brussels to apologise? I suggest he should apologise.
A Cheann Comhairle, you are keeping them under control this morning.
If he wishes to secure two seats for his party in Dublin South-East he should apologise quickly.
On the Order of Business, the Government must bring in an order tomorrow morning fixing the business for Friday. Will the Government arrange for a debate on the National Development Plan rather than the statements on the PCW?
This is a matter on which I have strictly ruled.
I seek to avoid a position where tomorrow we may have to challenge the Government's Order of Business on the basis that it is refusing to allow debate on the National Development Plan and the House an opportunity to discuss the cuts it proposes imposing on the National Development Programme.
I cannot facilitate the Deputy. The Chair has facilitated the House in dealing with the matter by way of Private Notice Questions. As I have said ad nauseam, the House can deal with the matter further by way of motion.
Will the Taoiseach agree that tomorrow he will make an order for a debate on the National Development Plan on Friday?
If there is nothing further to raise on the Order of Business I will proceed to deal with item No. 11.
I wish to raise another matter. When does the Government intend to bring forward legislation promised in the Programme for Government on freedom of information?
It is not promised legislation.
Is it not promised? Is the Government considering freedom of information legislation? The Programme for Government gave a commitment that the Government would examine the possibility of legislation on the freedom of information. Is such legislation going to be introduced?
The matter should not lead to argument.
When the Taoiseach took office as leader of his party and Taoiseach he gave a commitment to bring in that legislation. The Programme for Government states that the Government will examine a way to bring in this legislation.
On a point of order——
Deputy Allen, the Chair is on its feet. The Deputy may not interrupt me in such a brusque fashion.
May I have a response?
If the matter the Deputy referred to was not raised in the House it is not in order. Was that legislation promised in the House?
The legislation was not promised in the House. The Programme for Government states that we will examine the situation and we are examining it.
The Taoiseach is not being transparent.
On a point of order, the record will show that during the debate on the taxation of unemployment benefits when the question of equality payments for women was raised, the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Fitzgerald, promised legislation on that matter. She promised legislation on freedom of information.
The Chair accepts the statements of the Taoiseach in respect of the matter.
In view of the Taoiseach's remarks at Question Time yesterday with regard to the statement made by Mr. Molyneaux, will he provide time next week for a debate on Northern Ireland and Government policy in relation to Northern Ireland?
Again, that is a matter that can be raised at the appropriate time. It is not in order now.
Regarding promised legislation, when will the Government produce the Ethics in Government Bill? When the Government was formed it indicated that the Bill would be the first one it would introduce and it has not been introduced yet.
We expect to introduce it during this session.
When the Government was formed and Deputy Spring was appointed Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and set up a separate office for the Tánaiste, I understood that the Tánaiste would answer——
How does the Deputy relate those expressions to the Order of Business?
On a point of order——
A point of order——
I will reach it.
I cannot allow Deputy Owen to proceed any further. I am sure the Deputy will find other means of raising this matter, but it may not be raised now.
I ask the Chair to hear me out because the Chair will stop me today at 2.30 p.m.
I will not stop the Deputy if she is in order.
The Chair will stop me because it will not allow me raise a point of order.
I will assist the Deputy to be in order.
The Chair never allows me to raise a point of order on Question Time. If we cannot question the Tánaiste in the office of Tánaiste, how will we be able to raise questions in respect of his role in that office?
The record will show that those points of order invariably prove to be points of disorder.
The Chair has not heard me out.
I have heard sufficient to know that the Deputy's point is not in order now.
We were told that we would be able to ask the Tánaiste questions in his role as Tánaiste and not as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Every time I table a question in relation to the office of the Tánaiste it is disallowed or passed to the Minister for Finance or another Minister. Will the Chair not look into that matter?
I have no control over such matters. That is the Cabinet's responsibility.
When the office of the Tánaiste was set up the Tánaiste gave a commitment to the House. He said he would give us an opportunity to ask questions in respect of his role as Tánaiste. Clearly his role as Tánaiste has diminished.
Deputy Owen has been consistently on her feet defying the Chair. I must ask the Deputy to desist. Deputy Owen is making a point of challenging the Chair in a very unruly fashion and I will have to deal with that as such.
(Interruptions.)
Can the Taoiseach identify the optimist on the Labour benches who believes that in two or three years' time he or she will have a safe seat to give up to Orla Guerin?